Revolution
by imaginationimitation
Summary: The fall down the stairs didn't kill Kuina, and she goes on to join the battle for freedom. Spoilers for Dressrosa and beyond. [For Want of a Nail AU]
1. prologue: for the want of a nail

**A/N: Spoilers for manga Dressrosa and beyond **

Dear new readers: welcome! Thanks for clicking on my fic. Please continue reading without any regard to that paragraph below.

Dear old readers: Remember that cute little drabble AU fic that I never got around to finishing? Well, since it got jossed, I decided to wait until Dressrosa was finished for more insight on the characters and how the arc was going to tie off, and that was a good idea, because I had to redo a giant chunk of the plot. In the middle of that, though, I was adding way too much detail so I decided just to make it a giant AU fic. Ha. Sorry.

Please note that updates on this may be inconsistent and sporadic, but I _will _get around to finishing it. Maybe.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece.

* * *

Kuina was not, by nature, a clumsy person.

So in retrospect, tripping and dropping an oil lamp in the middle of a _wooden shed_ was not the most coordinated thing she had ever done. Maybe it was because she had been mulling over the fight that had happened only the night before. Wado Ichimonji had dulled in the fight - her inexperience in using a real blade had resulted in it, no doubt. Kuina had gone to the shed where the sharpening block was kept, her sword in one hand and an oil lamp in the other. She had propped up Wado by the entrance. The lamp had slipped from her fingers and fell, setting the entire shed on fire. Kuina had enough time to berate herself for her stupidity before she passed out from smoke inhalation.

Now, she was aboard a strange ship, covered up in bandages and hooked up to an IV, with possibly the strangest-looking man(?) ever standing in front of her. His head was as big as his body, covered in a blue-purple afro, and his face, though masculine, was smothered with piles and piles of makeup. The man's lashes were competing in size with her forearms, and he wore a black cloak with the hood up, not that it did anything to make him less conspicuous.

Kuina blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "What the hell?" Her voice was scratchy and hoarse, a clear reminder of how much smoke had gone through her lungs before she had lost consciousness. Now that she was aware of her injuries, she felt the itchiness and pain around her body. To her terror, though, her upper right thigh, which she now noticed had been elevated, was completely numb.

The afro man did an almost exaggerated comical take. "Such coldness!" he wailed, doubling over and clutching at his chest. He began wobbling, breathing shortly. "Guh, my anemia... I'm... I'm..."

Kuina blinked, feeling a little guilty. Was the man anemic? She opened her mouth, intending to apologise.

"I'm PERFECTLY FINE! HEE-HAW!" The man threw his hands up in the air, grinning from ear-to-ear. Kuina jerked, startled.

"Don't screw with me like that!" Kuina snapped, though the force behind her voice was diminished by the crack near the end and the hoarse tone. She lowered her voice, mindful of how much she could push her vocal chords. "Where am I? What happened to me? Where are we?"

The man grew serious. "You are on a ship bound for the Grand Line, sword girl, but for now it's still moored to your island. I believe there vas an incident where you lost consciousness in a burning shed, vhere our leader promptly rescued you. But vith the burns that you sustained, you vould've died after several long, antagonising hours."

Kuina froze, her face paling. She was so close to death right after making a promise to Zoro, to become the world's greatest swordsman? Was she stupid? She had promised herself that she wouldn't lose to Zoro, but to die before that even happened would be like running away, against her will or not.

"How... how am I still alive then?" she said slowly.

His response was blunt. "I shaved off a few years of your lifespan to increase your chances of surviving. Your vill to live powered through the rest. Once you vere stabilised, ve treated your second-degree burns - your leg was the most badly burnt, and required a skin graft. You vill not be able to be on your feet or do any physical exercise for a month at the least. You've been unconscious for a veek, and ve haven't set sail yet because you vere under our care. Your village is far too primitive in medicine to even dream of healing you completely. Even in the one in a million chance that you survive through your burns, you vould never be able to valk again."

She tried to process all this information at once. To be honest, she wasn't concerned about the length of her lifespan, that just meant needed to become the world's greatest even faster then. But she had been unconscious for a week and the strange man had probably avoided contact with her village, which meant that Zoro thought she had burned to death and had been thinking that for seven whole days. The news about her leg was alarming as well. Would she still be able to practice swordsmanship with her leg? If she stayed put for a month like the man had told her, maybe she would do a full recovery, especially about the man's seemingly-miraculous abilities.

"...why?" she asked, after a period of silence. "Why would you go through all this and even delay your trip to the Grand Line for a strange girl that you've never met before? Who is your leader? Are you guys a kind of organization?"

"I'm afraid that's confidential, sword-girl, for your own safety. We are on the wrong side of the law, you see."

The wrong side of the law? Panic flared up in her chest. Were they terrorists? Pirates? Maybe they only healed her to gain her trust and take her hostage? She tensed her sore and burned muscles, ready to rip out that IV needle and run for it. The boat was definitely docked, but how did she know she wasn't on a completely different island than before?

"Calm down, sword-girl," the man cut in, crossing his arms and looking put-out by seeing her panicked expression. "You vould have no value as a hostage; you aren't royalty, and you're from a small village in rural East Blue. There have already been a million chances to kill you or let you die, if ve hadn't saved you, you vould already be six feet under."

Kuina uncurled her fists from under the sheet, her expression shifting to a reluctant one. She supposed he had a point.

"I can answer one of those questions, though. It appears that our leader is a bit homesick and cannot tear himself avay from promising children on the brink of death."

Child_ren_?

"Why are you guys doing the saving, though?" Kuina felt confusion welling up inside her. "Doesn't the World Government protect us? Don't the Marines protect us? They can save the injured children fine, why do you need to do it? I bet they're technologically advanced, too, it's the World Government after all."

The man doubled over again, and for a moment Kuina thought that they were going to have an "anemic" moment again, before she realized that the strange noise coming from him was laughter.

"Mmmmfufufu! The World Government does not value every single child under their rule! They don't care about anything except for power, wealth, and influence! They will watch countries rot and stand there, and once it has decayed completely they will paint a pretty picture and replace it with that! You are too naive, sword-girl, and unfamiliar with how this world works. Have the millions of enslaved men, vomen, and children been saved from burns and vhips? Have countries swathed in poverty been brought back to vealth? Of course not! They never will be!"

"You're wrong," Kuina was beginning to feel numb again, but a different kind. It was building up in her stomach, a cold pit of fear and denial. "You're wrong, aren't you?!"

The man affixed her with a cold, hard stare, and Kuina began doubting everything she had ever been told about the world. About how the Marines were good and pirates and criminals were bad; and here was a self-proclaimed criminal who had saved her life and had patched her up far more than anyone else had. A cold shiver ran down her back.

"Why are you heading to the Grand Line?" she asked. "Is there going to be a war?"

"Go to sleep, ve don't vant you overexerting yourself and undoing all my hard vork," the man answered, standing up.

"I'm not a child, and I'm not sleepy," Kuina said by way of protest, even though her eyelids were drooping already.

Before the dark blanket of sleep enveloped her, she could hear a quiet sentence uttered by the man.

"There has alvays been a var."

* * *

When Kuina woke up again, she was hungry, her head was pounding, and her right leg was no longer elevated. The IV was still stuck in her arm. This time, she was a bit more alert, and scanned her surroundings. She was in what appeared to be an infirmary, with white curtains isolating her from the rest of the patients. The bed was up against a wooden wall, with a stool beside the bed that the doctor would sit on, and what the man with the large face had probably sat on. The only people there, she supposed, was herself, and another person. She could hear their breaths through the curtains, wheezing almost.

Her upper body was bare save for a swath of bandages wrapped around her torso and arms. Her legs were bound up, too, but she was wearing an old, baggy pair of shorts that didn't belong to her. It appeared that someone had been dressing her burns everyday - the painful blistering that she could feel was subsiding, except for her leg, which felt dry and itchy. Warily, she shifted to sit up.

"Skin grafts do not contain sweat or oil glands, and must be lubricated daily to prevent drying and cracking. We don't have any mineral, or bland oil at the moment, and we would need to set sail to another island to obtain it. I believe you would be adverse to leaving your home village, though, so we have refrained from causing panic."

Kuina made a surprised noise (which had been incredibly high-pitched, and if anyone asked her, she would've denied it) and jumped, or as much as she could covered in bandages and healing burns. Her eyes flew to the cloaked figure standing in front of the curtains. She was sure that he hadn't been here before.

The first thing she noticed about him were the strange, almost tribal-looking red tattoos on the left side of his face. His hair was wild and spiky, but slicked back, with hints of stubble lining his jaw. His entire body was covered by a black cloak that went down to his feet.

"You... where's that weird Hee-Haw guy from earlier? Are you the leader guy he mentioned?" She was still rasping, not as bad as before, but enough to be clear. "How long have I slept for?"

"Ivankov is busy dealing with... other people with worse injuries than you. You've slept for two and a half days; your condition has improved considerably." The man's voice was a deep baritone, and he had not a trace of the goofiness the earlier guy had. What had this man called him? Ivankov?

Two and a half more days of Zoro and her father thinking she was dead, huh? Well, just icing on the cake of being unconscious for a week.

"Are you the leader guy he mentioned? What kind of illegal organization is this?" Kuina pressed, her brow furrowing. Her eyes locked with his, and she felt chilled, as if this guy was reading all her secrets like an open book.

"I am Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army." the man said. "And my aim is to oppose the World Government and what it stands for. and overthrow the corrupted system that they have fallen into."

Kuina's eyes widened and her jaw fell open, but she didn't have the time to think of a response as the tattooed man continued.

"I recognized you as a promising girl. Rarely have I ever seen someone like you with as much talent as you have had, as well as the effort you have put in to maintaining your skill. It would be a waste for someone like you to die on this island in the East Blue, so I retrieved you from that burning shed. You have two choices: you can either return to your hometown, tell them that you have somehow survived, and continue living your life there. We will wipe your memory in exchange. Or you can come with us to the Grand Line, and join the Revolutionary Army. You will face the big namers of this era, fight in wars in which will decide the outcome of this world. And face an unprecedented amount of danger that you have never faced before. I am extending my hand to you now.

"If you do happen to join us, I will warn you that you will have to cut your ties off with everyone you hold dear, as the World Government may target them. You will undoubtedly become a wanted man, and you will be hunted down by the world. This is not a life of romanticism, and this is not a path to be taken without regard. I suggest you think hard about the choice that I'm giving you. I will wait three more days for your answer."

Kuina blinked, and he was gone.

Once her initial shock had wore off and she had gotten to think about it, the more she dreaded the three days that Dragon had given her. The Grand Line was a brutal place, a place where the dreams of many sailors were crushed, and only the strongest prevailed. And would Zoro ever forgive her for cutting off all ties with him and setting off to start a revolution? To fight the world's war by herself?

She couldn't deny the excitement that came with the fear, though. Her fighting ability could soar to places she had never dreamed of. She could track down the world's strongest swordsman and beat him.

But what was the point of claiming the crown if the world around her was falling apart?

She ran her fingers through her short hair in frustration, squeezing her eyes shut. Kuina didn't know what the hell to do, what the hell to say.

_What would Zoro do if he was in my position?_

That idiot would probably charge in without prior thought. As long as the thorny path led to the one where he would be the strongest, he would take it without fail. From what she could see, they weren't bad people. They had saved her, a complete stranger, because of her fighting potential. And they had even given her the choice to join them or return to her previous life. She had grown up sheltered on a small island in East Blue. She was a small fish in a small pond, wanting to reach the torrential ocean.

And here they were. The revolution was extending a hand and inviting her.

Kuina closed her eyes and slumped, pressing her back against the pillow, letting out a long sigh. She thought back again to the strange, makeup-covered man, Ivankov.

_"Have the millions of enslaved men, vomen, and children been saved from burns and vhips? Of course not!"_

Slaves.

Kuina suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Ivankov had mentioned slaves. Her father had told her about them, once, when she was little and had heard the word slip from the mouth of a traveller in the local tavern. _"Slaves are people who have no longer been rendered people, Kuina,"_ he had said. _"They are now the property of other people. They have no free will and can be treated however their owner deems fit."_ It was only after she had burst into tears of anger and vowed to beat up the "owners" of slaves that he had assured her that slavery had died out long ago. She had forgotten about it after a week, throwing herself back into her swordsmanship.

And Ivankov had said that there were millions of them. And that the World Government had approved of it.

Kuina's sweaty palms curled into fists on her lap, squeezing the white cotton of her blanket. Gritting her teeth.

_Can I trust these people?_

She took a deep breath, and, conscious of her throat, said as loudly as possible, "Excuse me!" After a few more moments of silence, where no one heard her, she tried again. "Excuse me!"

A few more moments of silence, before she heard footsteps on the wood of the ship. They were heavy, presumably of a man's, before the door opened. She watched as a man wearing a light top hat and a pair of goggles stuck his head in, his eyes falling on her.

"Were you calling?" he said tentatively, as if speaking to a startled doe. Kuina suppressed the flash of irritation. "Is there a problem?"

Kuina looked into his eyes. "Can you tell me," she said, "about slaves?"

* * *

Kuina was no longer as exhausted as before, the strain on her body lessening, and she was generally conscious the entire day. There was a doctor that came and dressed her burns, sometimes many times a day, but he looked hassled. He spent more time on the other person, who seemed to have stayed unconscious for her entire duration here. During those times when he was checking on her, he injected a needle into Kuina, informing her that the bleariness and numbness was only temporary and wouldn't knock her out. Kuina, disoriented, managed to witness the healing of her burns. The majority of her body was blistered and red, swelling, and her skin was peeling off in little bits. The doctor had covered those in a white cream, which had felt cool even against her numbed skin. But her leg, was another story. It had, according to the doctor, been charred to the point of being white and leathery, and they had to do a full-thickness graft onto it from a donor. Now, there was a giant patch of discoloured and uneven skin, but her leg was intact, something she was grateful for.

The doctor had put some weird dressing on it, and had massaged some oil onto her leg (Dragon had sent a few men to buy some mineral oil from a neighbouring island). By the time the anaesthesia had worn off, he was long gone.

Kuina was now forcing food down her throat, albeit only soups or mashed up items. She wasn't the only one being conscious of the smoke that she had sucked in. Several people had visited her while delivering her food, all part of the Revolutionary Army. Kuina was by no means a sociable person, and she wasn't blind to the fact that many boys at her dojo disliked her for her arrogance (in spite of the fact that she was overwhelmingly better and knew it). Despite that, she had tried to strike up a conversation with them about their reasons for joining. All their stories had left Kuina in varying states of shock. Some of them were hunted down for seeing something they shouldn't have. Some of the told her stories about the corruption in their home countries. Some of them told her about being enslaved. Some of them had even eaten Devil Fruits, to her surprise and amazement. She had only ever heard of legends of Devil Fruits and their users before, and it had painfully accented on the fact that she had never even been outside her village.

There was nothing to do while she recovered, as the doctor had cautioned against getting on her feet and exerting herself, and Kuina had already come close to losing her leg once and wasn't keen on trying it again, so for three days, between her meals and the doctor's visits, she thought about her answer to Dragon, she thought about the world that had been shielded from her view, she thought about her father and Zoro back at the dojo and she thought about her dream.

And on the night of the third day, while Kuina was watching a spider weave a web a corner (yes, she was that bored), she heard the door open. This time, Dragon hadn't bothered to mask his presence, because Kuina could hear his footsteps as he walked down the hallway. The same intimidating and tattooed man stepped in, the leader of all these people.

"You've become quite popular with the revolutionaries during these three days," he said, by way of greeting. "You are often the subject during meals. Many of them are adamant about you joining. That, however, is your own choice."

Kuina hesitated for a moment, closing her eyes. She recalled the familiar grip of Wado Ichimonji, how the grooves in its hilt had fit perfectly into her fingers, as if it had been made for her despite only having used it once. She recalled her flare of competitiveness at the appearance of an obstinate green-haired boy and his drive to surpass her. She recalled the defeat she had felt as he caught up to her, and the determination as his words spurred her on.

And she said aloud, "Sorry."

Dragon kept his face neutral, waiting for her to continue.

"Sorry," Kuina repeated. "Would you allow this small and inexperienced fish to join your army, Dragon-san?"

The man grinned, something that Kuina hadn't expected. She must've looked quite taken aback, because he burst into laughter.

Kuina stared at him for a moment, looking dumbfounded, before Dragon caught his breath and replied.

"Fufu... you sure are an interesting one. What of your family and friends at home, then? Most likely, they believe you're dead and that you've been so for awhile now."

Kuina looked the other way. "About that... I want to leave them a message. Just a subtle one, one that'll tell them that I'm alive. Do you have any paper and something I could write with?"

Somehow, the man managed to produce a smooth sheet of paper, small enough to fit in Kuina's palm, as well as a strange writing utensil made of what appeared to be plastic. With a click of a button the tip popped out, no need for messy ink or brushes.

Kuina's hands were still bandaged, and she was no artist, but they were steady enough for her to scrawl the image of a bird with clipped wings. She assessed it for a moment, before adding a sword in the corner, one with a white hilt like her Wado, and handing it to Dragon, who scanned it with a critical gaze.

"Girl, what's your name?" he said.

_"Hey, Kuina, didn't your dad name you after a flightless bird?" Zoro fixed his gaze on her between trying to fix the angle that she had bent his nose at with her shinai. As always, their spar had ended in her win. "Why would he do that? I heard that the world's greatest swordsman is called "Hawk-Eyes" - a bird that can't fly can't possibly catch up to a hawk."_

_Kuina scowled at him. "Say that after you beat me, you useless moss-brain."_

"Kuina," she said. "My name is Kuina."

Dragon looked down again at the paper. "I see." Was that a lilt of amusement in his voice? "One of my comrades has eaten the Paw-Paw fruit, it allows him to "push" objects at varying speeds. As light as this paper is, he could make it appear as if it had teleported without exerting much effort."

Kuina had blanched at his explanation of the Devil Fruit's ability. The Grand Line was filled with dangerous fruit users, and she had to be stronger than them all. The flightless bird would definitely soar higher than the hawk, somehow, someday. "...Understood."

The man smiled again, a confident grin that was infectious. He held out his hand for her to shake. "Welcome to the Revolutionary Army, Kuina."

"Please take care of me, Dragon-san." Kuina grasped it, his hand almost dwarfing hers, and shook.

* * *

It had been well over a week since the old shed burned to the ground. He had seen nothing but ashes and Kuina's sword lying among them near the edges. over a week since he had heard that Kuina had been inside and didn't manage to get out in time.

Then had came the rage, the denial, the fury of Kuina running away, albeit unintentionally, from the promise that they had made just the night before. He had shrieked to the tops of his lungs at a pile of ashes, sobbing and snot dripping from his nose (though he would deny it if anyone ever mentioned it). He had hated Kuina. He had hated the fact that she had been stolen away by a stupid accident like that. And he hated that he couldn't do anything to change that.

Zoro had asked Kuina's father, who was going through a sort of serene kind of grief, for her sword, Wado, the only thing of Kuina that he had left. The pure white sword, stained by the soot, was given to his clammy hands. And then he had thrown himself into a flurry of sword drills, exercise, and sparring matches. With Kuina gone, he had wiped the floor with anyone that dared challenge him, regardless of age or experience. Kuina was gone now so it was up to him to become the best. He would climb the ladder, his name would be infamous around the world, and he would fulfill his promise. Definitely.

He had been training and fetching water at the same time - the well in their village had broken, so they were short on water. He was carrying two ceramic pots almost as big as he was on each arm; both of them were to the brim with water from the river. His muscles had ached and complained about it, but he had ignored it and pushed on.

Now if he hadn't gotten lost (not that he would ever admit it to anyone), that would've been great.

Zoro pushed through a pack of bushes, brambles scraping at his cheeks, looking around. He had been following his gut instincts this entire time, and _hey, doesn't that tree look familiar -_

Zoro ran forward, excited, before the sound of rushing water filled his ears and he realized that he was somehow back at the river again.

What the hell? Was this forest a maze or something?

Another noise, sharper, startled him. He looked around frantically, only to see a piece of paper fluttering above his head, slowly losing the fight to gravity. It was a small, squared piece of paper, and Zoro set the pots on his arms down to snatch it out of the air. There was a crude drawing on it. Unlike the smooth strokes from brushes that Zoro was familiar with, it was sharper, looked less likely to bleed if it was wet, and a lot bumpier too. It looked an awful lot like something he would draw. ...Was that a bird? The wings were all weird though, some of the feathers stretched out but some of them were cut short in an almost straight-edged, boxy way. In the corner was a sword, a white one, that resembled Wado a bit.

He tilted his head, unsure of how this paper got here or what it was trying to say. There was a nagging feeling at the back of his head, and he stared at it for a moment before the wind picked up and pulled it out of his fingers. The paper fell to a stop in the smooth river, the water destroyed the fragile white in an instant, and swept it away.

* * *

They had left Kuina's home island the morning after she had agreed to join them. A week later, they had docked on a nearby island that was barren and isolated. the doctor had deemed that the majority of her burns had healed enough to remove the bandages. The angry red blisters and swelling had gone down to pinkish and bumpy scars, but her leg was still wrapped up. She was given a crutch to hobble around as she couldn't put much pressure on that yet.

No one had clothes that fit Kuina; her old clothes were bloodied and burnt to a crisp. A few of the women in the army had lent her a baggy mesh shirt with a black tank top over that, both which fell to her knees. Kuina kept the shorts that she had been wearing. She had also tied a white sash around her waist to hold her future sword with, once her doctor removed her ban from nearing the swords and training. The black cloaks that almost everyone donned was unavailable to her, as there were none in her size.

They had also offered her undergarments, something Kuina had fervently denied. She had opted to bind her chest with some of the bandages the doctor had.

The ship was huge, and the inside decorations made it look like a mansion instead of a ship, at least from the inside. Kuina had been told to stay below deck, as the Grand Line's weather was tumultuous and her leg was still healing, she would get into trouble. She wasn't exactly happy about that, but she agreed nonetheless.

Between the other revolutionaries discussing issues that she didn't understand, and being forbidden to train or go above deck, Kuina had resorted to wandering around. The first day that her bandages had been taken off, she had walked over to the other patient in the infirmary, who was still in a state of unconsciousness. His erratic breaths told her that he was alive, but she hoped he wasn't in a coma or something.

She had pulled the curtain open to look at him, before wincing and having the sudden urge to hurl (between her seasickness and this, she thought it was well-deserved).

It was a boy, around her age and maybe a little shorter than her. He had short blond hair and a snub nose, and there was an IV sticking to a banged-up arm, but those were the only distinguishing features Kuina could tell at the moment. His entire body was banged up and bruised, his bandages were stained dark with blood and burns peeked out from under them. Some lesser ones were left open in all their blistering, raw, swelling glory. Kuina's leg looked tame compared to this. What the hell had happened to him? Was this the other child that Dragon had saved, and Ivankov had mentioned?

His left eye was also covered up, and for a moment Kuina wondered if he'd lost an eye. His belongings, all varying amounts of scorched and singed, were in a bag on the ground, leaning against the leg of a bed. She stared at his face for a moment (the rest of his gruesome injuries were covered by the blanket), unable to tear her eyes away, like a moth drawn to a flame. Then she gritted her teeth, turned around, and pulled the curtain closed.

Kuina would deny the nightmares of flames and of the almost zen-like boy, sleeping as his body burned away.

When the boy returned to the world of the living, Kuina was slamming a shinai into a training dummy. The bandages around her leg had come off a few weeks ago, but the doctor had only permitted her to begin training the other day. Her body had grown soft during her rest, and now she was throwing herself back in her rigorous exercise head first. One of the revolutionaries, a confident but kind bald man with the trademark black cloak had explained to her the concept and usage of Haki and its effectiveness against Devil Fruit users. Kuina had been aiming to achieve that ever since.

"Kuina-girl." Kuina looked to the door, breathing hard, and blinked sweat out of her eyes to see Ivankov's gaudy face. "The boy has avakened."

"Seriously?" Kuina asked. "With his injuries, I wouldn't have been surprised if he stayed unconscious for half a year." Nevertheless, she propped her shinai against the wall, towelled herself off and gulped down water from a flask, before following the okama (whose transgender status Kuina had discovered rather traumatically; it had involved baths and the usage of a Devil Fruit that Kuina previously didn't know about).

The curtains around the boy had been drawn back, and the revolutionaries crowded him. Once Ivankov arrived with Kuina, they explained the situation to them.

"His memories...? They're not coming back?"

"Yes! The poor boy can't even remember his own name..."

Out of habit, Kuina sized him up. While his injuries hindered him, he acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary, as if he was used to it. At first, Kuina had mistook him for being scrawny, but the telltale knots of muscle were enough to show her that he was more lean than anything. His eyes were wide and confused, clearly they weren't lying when they said that he had lost his memory.

"Your belongings have "Sabo" written on them, so that's probably your name, you think?" The man that had explained the situation on slaves to Kuina held up a charred blue coat.

"Sabo? ...I guess?" The boy said slowly, looking unsure. Despite herself, Kuina felt a twinge of pity for him.

"But one thing's for sure, he's a noble from the Goa Kingdom," Dragon said.

"Then let's send him back. I'll look for his parents," Kuina's Haki instructor said.

That boy was a noble? Kuina supposed that he wouldn't look out of place within the boys in her dojo.

Sabo jolted as if he'd been hit. "No way!" he shouted, looking frantic.

"Huh..."

"I... don't want to go back! Please, take me with you, anywhere but there!" Tears were starting to form out of the corner of his uncovered eye, and Kuina looked away, biting her lip. Sure, she had resented it when her father had pointed out the thorny path that she would have to walk to become a renowned swordswoman, but never to the point of hatred and panic like this boy was showing. She gritted her teeth, turning around and walking away.

"Hn? Kuina-girl? Where are you going?"

"To train," Kuina said darkly, closing the door behind her.

* * *

"Your control over Haki is getting better, Kuina-chan," Inazuma noted, allowing Kuina to take off her blindfold. They were a few months into journey, having already passed Loguetown and gone through Reverse Mountain (in which they had been stopped by a strange whale and an old man) and had stopped sporadically to get proper clothes for their younger members, stock up on supplies, and Kuina had even gotten a sword. Granted, it was a cheap one that costed around fifty thousand beris (which was still a lot of money, much to Kuina's guilt), and it was nowhere near as good as Wado had been, but she would take what she got.

"You think?" she said absentmindedly. The blade turned from a patchy black to its regular silver, and she clucked her tongue upon noticing that she had chipped it, despite having kept up with maintenance. It wasn't as if her Armament Haki was perfect, but the damn sword wouldn't stop breaking. She carefully slid it into the red sheath (which, incidentally, matched the hilt), but then she noticed someone at the door. She stopped it from sheathing completely, her thumb on the cross-shaped guard.

Sabo was at the entrance, gripping what seemed to be a metal pole. Didn't she see that among his belongings? The bandages around his face and head had come off, and there was some pink scar tissue over his left eye, but the rest of his burns were still firmly bound.

"You're that noble boy," Kuina said, turning around to look at him. "I thought Sensei wouldn't let you out of bed?"

"I was getting restless, so I snuck out," Sabo answered, grinning sheepishly. He was missing one of his front teeth, Kuina noticed. "How did you get your sword black like that? That's so cool!"

"It's Haki." Inazuma launched into a detailed explanation of it. Only half-listening, Kuina put down her sword and picked up a few weights, and began doing shoulder presses. Her reps were in their fifties when Sabo addressed her again.

"Kuina-chan, right? I don't think we've met before." He smiled again and held out his hand for her to shake. "I'm Sabo! Nice to meet you."

Kuina eyed the outstretched hand, putting down her weights and huffing. "I'm all sweaty, you sure you want to shake my hand, Sabo-kun?" The corner of her mouth quirked up in a confident grin. She shook his hand. "Nice to meet you too."

"Say, can you wield that pole?" she continued, contemplating the length of metal.

Sabo gave her a cocky grin, mirroring hers. "Want to find out?"

Their intense sparring match ended with Kuina's win, but only because Sabo's injuries were hindering him. She didn't want to go all-out against him because of said wounds, but his movements were swift and hard to read and his blows were heavier than she would've thought. She was covered in bruises and sweating profusely, and her right arm was going numb with a rather well-placed blow. Sabo, on the other hand, was lying on his back, heaving great breaths and sporting just as many contusions, if not more, than her; she was still unused to a sharp weapon and had opted to use a shinai instead.

"Kuina-chan, you didn't use Haki at all," Inazuma commented, "though that would've given you an edge."

"I - I'm not used... to using Haki.. in the heat of battle yet..." Kuina said, doubling over in an attempt to catch her breath.

"Inazuma... -san," Sabo said from his position spread-eagled on the floor. "Could you... teach me Haki.. as well?"

"...Tell you what," Inazuma said after studying the two fatigued children. "I'll get Dragon-san to oversee your training. Both of yours."

"Seriously?!" Kuina looked up at him, her eyes wide. She beamed at the dual-toned man. "For real, Inazuma-san?!"

"Dragon-san?! Himself?" Sabo cracked an astonished eye open.

Before Inazuma could continue though, there was a loud _"SABO-KUUUUUUUUN!"_ shouted in the distance, and the two children jolted, and continued to sweat profusely, but for a different reason.

"Shit, that's the doctor," Sabo muttered, pushing himself to his feet.

"You run that way, I'll run this way," Kuina instructed, her eyes wide and alarmed.

In the end, both of them had gotten caught, a spanking and a scolding (despite both children insisting that they were far too old for this), Sabo for sneaking out of bed and engaging in physical exercise, and Kuina for encouraging it. Suspiciously, Inazuma got off scot-free.

"Ow ow ow, Sensei really doesn't hold back, does he?" Sabo commented, wincing as he eased in the bed once they were finally freed. With one hand, he rubbed at his aching rear end. Kuina was standing instead of sitting, for the same reasons.

"I haven't gotten a spanking since I was four," she complained. Begrudgingly, she sat down carefully. "You probably shouldn't do that again."

"What, sneak out of bed while I'm healing? Or kick your ass?"

"Yeah - hey! I totally won that match!"

"Sounds like something a loser would say ~"

Kuina stood up and stretched his cheeks to a disproportionate amount, scowling irritably as Sabo laughed. Eventually, they fell into a sort of comfortable silence, Kuina staring at the spider in the corner. He had just caught a fly and was walking over to a juicy dinner.

"Hey, why did you join the Revolutionary Army?" Sabo said suddenly. Kuina looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "I mean... you're not like me, right? You probably... remember your friends and family, don't you? Why did you leave them?"

Kuina chewed on her lip, thinking of an appropriate response. "I guess... it's because I felt obligated to," she answered. "I did take a while to decide, but after hearing everyone's stories and their struggles, about how so many more people were suffering under a corrupt system, I couldn't leave it alone. Don't get me wrong, I'm doing this of my own free will, but I have a personal goal too."

"Which is?"

She stood up, putting a hand over her hip. "To become the world's greatest swordsman. I promised someone that I wouldn't lose, so I definitely won't."

Sabo grinned. "I see."

_"Father, why did you name me after a flightless bird?" Kuina was in the middle of sharpening Wado, a practice her father had taught her years ago. What Zoro had said earlier had been bothering her. "What good is a bird if it can't fly?"_

_Her dad looked amused by her question. "Well, Kuina..."_

"Anyway, dinner's starting soon, so I'd better get going before it all gets devoured." Kuina changed the subject, standing up (something her raw butt thanked her endlessly for). "Do you want me to bring you some?"

"Sure! Thanks."

Kuina drew the curtains, allowing the amnesiac boy some rest and quiet. "No problem."

On her way to the mess hall, she was stopped by Breverton, one of the more senior members of the Revolutionary Army and a very proficient swordsman. "Hey, Kuina-chan," he said, smiling his large trademark grin, "we'll be arriving at the island soon, so they won't be serving dinner in the ship. It's a quaint little place called Nanimonai Island. Uninhabited."

"Seriously? That's awesome, I've been dying to get on dry land," Kuina complained. "Thanks, Breverton-san." The man in question just grinned and took a sip from his beer.

As Kuina hurried back to tell Sabo about the news, she became lost in her thoughts about the people she had left behind in East Blue. She was in the Grand Line now, already far beyond the point of return. Hopefully, Zoro had received her message and was training with the knowledge that he would see her again as a rival for the crown of the best, and her father would look at Wado Ichimonji knowing that its former wielder was still alive.

_"Just because a bird can't fly, that doesn't mean it never will."_

* * *

**A/N: **Please don't hesitate to leave a review if you liked it! It would really make my day. Also, if anyone is interested in betaing this fic, please PM me, they are very welcome owo


	2. Salvos Regem: the war kingdom

**A/N: **The last chapter was really cut scene-esque, taking place over a time period. This one is where the plot finally starts :D unfortunately, there are a lot of OCs here. I hope you don't mind them.

I just realized that the replaced first chapter might not show up on some of the followers of this story. If you are a returning reader and haven't read it yet, please go now! Or else a lot of the plot will fly over your head. Also, my updating speed is faster than it looks! D: Don't be fooled! (Okay, maybe that was a lie)

Also, if anyone is interested in being a beta for this story, please PM me (QAQ), as the quality of my writing is slowly declining

* * *

**Seven Years Later**

**Baltigo, Grand Line**

The white rock formations behind HQ had been cut in smooth lines, chunks of them littering the floor. The wind whipped at Kuina, stinging her cheeks and fingers, and the girl exhaled, seeing a white cloud form in front of her lips.

"Kuina-chan! Dragon-san has just given us our orders. We're finally going to the front lines." The door to the back opened, and Kuina looked behind her, her face lighting up upon seeing Koala and the news she had brought with her.

Her blackened sword returned to its normal silver sheen, and she sheathed it. As intimidating and ruthless the revolutionary leader seemed to the rest of the world, Dragon hadn't let the two children under his thumb out to fight on a real battlefield yet, regardless of their protests. When Koala joined not too long after, they had only gotten more restless.

At age seventeen, Kuina had filled out. Of course, she would never be anywhere near the lines of someone like Boa Hancock. But it was easy to tell that she was a girl now. She had given up on completely flattening her bust long ago after a fainting spell during a spar with Sabo a few years ago. Once he had gotten her to confess to him the reason behind her supposed machismo, he had looked at her incredulously and said,_ "That's it?"_

While it had pissed her off at the time, especially considering that she was opening up to him about her insecurities, Sabo had been genuine when he said that she was strong. And she would definitely become much, much stronger. Even if she couldn't fight forcefully like Flower Sword Vista, Suleiman the Beheader, or even the Revolutionary's own Breverton, it was fine to become powerful with her own style.

"Seriously?" Kuina grinned, excitement and anticipation buzzing in her veins. Something at the back of her mind, most likely her sanity, was telling her that she was entering a war and shouldn't underestimate the battlefield. "Where? Is he sending us to that place in South Blue? Er, Centaurea, right? We've only recently started infiltrating that country, so it might be a little hard to fan the sparks, don't you think?"

"Calm down," Koala said with a little laugh. "He's sending us to the other place; Salvos Regem, on the Grand Line, not far from here." While she spoke, she led the way back inside. They marched through the familiar halls to Sabo's room. The boy had been hunched over paperwork all last night, and was sound asleep by now. Well. That was too bad for him.

"Salvos... Regem? Ah, the one Breverton-san was in charge of, right? They're pretty much finished over there, the civil war's in its last steps and our only concern would be the World Government stepping in to lend a hand, right?"

"Dragon-san's probably worried about that the most," Koala observed. "The majority of Marine troops enlisted in the Marine branch nearby are from Salvos Regem, and a lot of them are transferred into HQ because of their high performance rates. To lose that country would cut off the rate that their military power is growing. Not to mention, there's that _other_ issue..." Subconsciously, Koala wrapped a hand around her shoulder, squeezing the breezy fabric. Kuina eyed her back, deciding not to press it. The fact that Koala had been a slave, and had been saved by Fisher Tiger, was now well-known throughout the Revolutionary Army. It still remained a sensitive topic, though. Just as fires were to Kuina.

"Oh, we're here," Kuina noted, seeing the familiar door.

With an evil grin Kuina kicked the door open with her combat boots, making sure to be as loud as possible. "SABO!" she shouted, ripping open the curtains as Koala giggled. The lump in the blankets shifted for a moment, before curling in on itself. Desperate to hide from the world a little bit longer. "RISE AND SHINE!" She grabbed the blanket, and in one swift yank, pulled it from the sleep-deprived Sabo.

"ARGH! Kuina, _no_ \- " Sabo's protests were cut off as he rolled off the bed and landed in a heap on the floor. He let out a long groan, pushing the heels of his palms into his eyes. "I got_ four hours of sleep,_ Kuina, leave me _alone_." Not even bothering to get up, he balled himself up on the floor and stayed there, not intending to move any time soon.

"Sabo-kun," Koala said, with an amused smile tugging on her lips, "Dragon-san's just assigned us our first mission. We're going out on the field."

That got his attention.

"Our first mission?!" Sabo jumped to his feet, looking exhausted as shit but excited. He wobbled, and sat down on his desk chair before his legs could give out on him. "Where to?"

"Salvos Regem."

Sabo rubbed his eyes again. "Uh. Shit. Which island was that again?"

Koala laughed, smoothing Sabo's bedsheets before sitting on it. She pointed at the assorted maps on the wall she was facing, a Paradise map. Salvos Regem was a large winter island. On one small chunk of land near the west was Kurokiri Island. Their territory had been taken from them until they surrendered their ruler's head and signed a peace treaty.

"Salvos Regem is a prosperous country with freezing sub-zero temperatures year-round and constant snowstorms." She explained. "After years on the island, the ecosystem has adapted to the weather conditions and crops grown there are all durable, making it ideal for trading. Furthermore, the nation's culture values strength over anything. The harsh climates have hardened them, their military strength is not to be underestimated. They've conquered the many nations around them, and now rule over a large territory. They used to attend the Reverie, but with the king's recent defection from the World Government, it is presumed that they are no longer welcome.

"Their culture values strength over all. They are also well known for their high-grade weapons. It is common for citizens to carry their own weapons to showcase their degree of skill as a threat to everyone that they don't consider an ally. Their king is considered the strongest fighter in the kingdom with the royal family. He's followed by their soldiers and prostitutes."

"Prostitutes?" Sabo blinked.

"Yes, prostitutes. Becoming a prostitute requires you to be immensely strong, as well as incredibly beautiful, as it is considered an honour to sleep with a powerful yet beautiful woman, and they are generally regarded highly in the society. It's one of the ideal high-paying jobs for a girl born in a lower class family if she wanted to climb the social ladder. There's also..."

Koala hesitated, and Kuina took up the explanation. "Salvos Regem, prior to its deflection from the World Government, used to be one of the biggest underground slave-supplying countries around by selling their prisoners of war when their usefulness had run out. The vast majority of the public remained unaware, though."

"Oh." Sabo's expression grew solemn.

Koala seemed to have gotten a bit of her spirit back, so Kuina let her continue. "Anyway, Breverton-san's been working there for a while. Unusually, there's been a drought for the past few years, and crops are failing. Sometime during that the king has decided to deflect from the World Government to the Revolutionary Army, but there are a lot of people who aren't happy about it. They're the ones suffering thanks to the food shortage, after all. The rebels are losing steam now, not having the wealth to afford medical care or enough food to go around, but we can't overrule the Marines stepping in to help, either."

"So we're just there to hold the line," Sabo observed, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I guess that's not too bad. At least we've got Breverton-san and not one of those weirdos." He lets out a short laugh at that.

"Dragon-san made a grave mistake, letting them all gather that one time," Kuina grumbled. "I had nightmares for _months_."

"Anyhow, when are we setting sail? Since it's the three of us, we're going to be in a smaller boat, right?" Sabo continued.

"Mm, Dragon-san's using all the big fleets for Centaurea, in South Blue. The smaller, infiltration boats are moving to Tequila Wolf in East Blue, because we don't have the manpower to spare right now, seeing as all our leaders have been dispatched. We're leaving in three days, with one of the smaller sailboats, and we'll probably be at sea for a week. We're going to be staying in Salvos Regem for an indefinite amount of time, so make sure you're prepared!" Koala gave them a bright smile, and Kuina laughed.

"Aye aye, Koala, Kuina," Sabo mock-saluted them. "Now get out and let me sleep!" Koala and Kuina were both shoved out of his room, and Sabo threw the door shut, though admittedly none of them were putting up a fight.

"I'll go pack up now," Kuina said, "in case there's an emergency that requires us to leave early."

"You shouldn't lie when you look so excited," Koala giggled. Kuina swatted at her, before running to her room.

In her room, Kuina haphazardly shoved clothes of varying thickness into a bag, before slinging on a classic revolutionary cloak (which she actually fit in now), before glancing a look at the full-body mirror that Ivankov had insisted on her having. Absentmindedly, her fingers went up to trace over the burn scars on the left side of her jaw and neck, before being covered by fabric. The same burns littered her body, and a good chunk of her thigh was patchy and discoloured from the skin graft. Koala had convinced her to grow out her hair, and while her bangs were the same, the rest of it was tied up in a ponytail at the back. She had stuck with the black tank top and shorts over mesh armour (it was far more comfortable than it looked), with her sword stuck through the white sash, at her right hip. Like Zoro, Kuina was a southpaw.

She grabbed the hilt of her store-bought sword and unsheathed it, staring at the steel. It was cheap, but it had lasted her all these years (after she had pumped Haki into it, of course). Would it last on the battlefield?

For not the first time, she found herself longing for Wado Ichimonji, back in East Blue with Zoro. He would've been sixteen by now. She wondered how strong he had become.

She angled it so she could see the reflection of her eye in the silver. "I'm going to do this," she said, unsure of if she was talking to the sword or trying to reassure herself. "I'm definitely going to climb to the top."

* * *

Kuina was relieved when they had finally neared the shores of Salvos Regem. It meant that she could finally get off the nausea-inducing boat, which was more of a dinghy than anything, and fight in a real battle with her sword for the first time. However, thanks to the drought, there was high visibility and anyone near the docks could see them coming from a distance. Since they were only three people, Koala insisted that they tried to blend in.

The large fleet ship that Breverton had took was probably hidden somewhere far from sight, as the man was always cautious. The only boats tied to the docks were the king's warships, icebreakers that had been covered with propaganda and protests against the king, various Marine ships, and a few large boats with blank sails. Soldiers bustled about, some scrubbing them off and some maintaining the ships. They paid the small boat no attention.

"Ugh... can't you make us go any faster, Sabo?" Kuina complained, curling up into a little ball and resting her forehead on her knees. She was trying hard not to hurl.

Sabo, their de facto navigator in possession of the Eternal Pose (which had been hidden once they could see the island), ignored her in favour of wrapping his gloved hands around a black, double breasted full length coat. "Geez, the temperature just dropped. It's even colder than Baltigo - and the water is frozen in a one kilometre radius. We'll have to drag this thing over there to tie it to the docks."

Once they had rigged up a rope to drag the boat over to the docks, they were greeted by a harried-looking soldier with a square face and a oddly hooked nose. He was dressed in a white camouflage uniform that seemed quite thick. On his back was a large rifle.

"Hey, you there," he grunted. Kuina looked up from the knot she was tying. "If yer merchants, there ain't gonna be nobody buying what ya have ta offer. Our own storekeepers are struggling. There'r rebels goin' round here, yeah? Best if ya stay away."

"Pardon me sir," Koala cut in smoothly, smiling. She was dressed in a maroon full length coat, with a fur trimmed hood which she had up. A yellow scarf was wrapped around her face. "We're just travellers. We were hoping for a stay here, we'll be gone by the morning, promise."

The soldier raised an eyebrow. "Well, I dunno if there'r any hotels still up fer ya. Good luck with that, but be careful."

"Thank you, sir, we'll take that into consideration," Koala's big round eyes looked perfectly sincere as Kuina and Sabo slung their respective bags over their shoulders. His pole and her sword had been hidden in there.

The soil was completely frozen beneath their feet, and their breaths were visible in tiny clouds. The crowd around them was bustling with a sort of nervous energy, mothers keeping a close eye on their children, merchants trying to sell their dwindling wares to the public. Graffiti littered tightly-shut houses and, in the distance, Kuina could see farmers struggling to produce the highly-demanded plants that Salvos Regem was noted for. She also noticed that there were a great number of people who were carrying visible weapons on their hips or back.

"Koala, didn't you say it was constantly storming?" Sabo commented. "I didn't think the drought was_ this_ bad."

Kuina glanced over at Sabo and Koala, before looking over at the palace in the distance. It was built more like a fortress than anything, situated at the highest point of the gradual slope on the island, and coloured a greyish-white. At the top of the highest tower were three flags. Two had been burned down, but the one in the middle showed the emblem of Salvos Regem.

_"Okay," Kuina had said, stretching as they stopped on an uninhabited jungle island. Her Observation Haki told her that no human was in earshot. "When we get to Salvos Regem, should we split up when we get to the island? We won't stand out as much, and gathering information will be a lot faster. We can stay in contact with our baby Den Den Mushis."_

_"Breverton-san's most recent report was two weeks ago," Koala said, rummaging through their supplies to start a fire. Behind her, Kuina had her eyes closed, sensing for possible meat. "He contacted the network with a Den Den Mushi that was impossible to wiretap. He's made allies with the king already, seeing as they both have a common goal. The palace is under lockdown, with the rebels rallying protests and spreading discord. They don't agree with the king's defection from the World Government, and the Marines might seek to ally with them instead. Also, the princess is missing, she has been for a while now."_

_"Why did the king leave the World Government in the first place?" Sabo asked, suspicion clear in his tone._

_Koala shrugged. "He also mentioned that it was likely the Marines were going to send some of the higher ups over. Breverton-san wants to try and convince the rebels to give up the fight, somehow, because it would be advantageous in terms of military power and would stop a lot of the casualties."_

_"It depends on how Breverton-san approaches it," Koala finished, striking flint and steel together._

_"Then, in the end, meeting up with Breverton-san is our first order of business," Kuina noted. "Splitting up would be a good idea, yeah?"_

_Sabo looked over at her. "Then, Kuina, you should go find Breverton-san first. Koala and I will go around gathering information about how the country's moving."_

_"Hm, that sounds like a good idea, Sabo-kun!" Koala chimed in just as Kuina complained, "Who made you boss?"_

"There's my stop," she said. She slid out her sword, still in its scabbard, and stuck it through the belt she had on top of her coat. Sabo and Koala split into different directions behind her, and she continued on the path to the stained the streets. When she looked, she could see brothels open and advertising their wares. _This country is going to ruin,_ Kuina thought, grimacing.

The pathways through the town were all cut off as the slope curved steeply onto the rocky hill where the palace rested. The palace itself had four turrets situated at each corner, each flag displaying Salvos Regem's insignia. The walls that connected the turrets formed a square around the palace itself, which was built a little like the HQ of the Revolutionary Army back in Baltigo, except with a lot more sharp edges in the architecture.

Kuina opted to duck into the backstreets, where she was covered, and then sprint up the slope as fast as possible, seeing as she was completely exposed there._ Which is the point_, she mused, looking at the walls, which had cannons mounted every few meters. There would normally be archers and gunners there, she supposed. Waiting to pick off the chinks in an enemy's army, but now they were deserted.

She had just made it to the top of the rocky slope when she felt the barrel of a gun press to the back of her head.

_What the hell?_ She hadn't even sensed this guy coming, even though she was on full alert. Her entire body tensed, and her left hand drew to her sword.

"Who are you?" A voice sounded behind her. It was distorted, sounding almost electronic, and the gender was indistinguishable. "Why are you here?"

Kuina tilted her head, shifting her entire body, to get a better look at her assailant. They were a bit taller than her, in a greyish-brown cloak with sleeves. The hood was up, covering their entire head save for their face, which was covered by a strange, moustached, yet smiling mask, painted in stark white and black.

"Don't move, or we'll see what your brains look like on rock." The barrel pressed harder, forcing Kuina's head forward. She scowled. The gun was different from the flintlocks pirates traditionally used. This one was pure black, sleeker. _So their war technology is advanced, like Koala said._

"Okay, okay, don't get so worked up," she drawled, lifting her hands beside her face and facing forward again. She was trying to get a rise out of the calm person, in hopes of drawing out an opening. No such luck, though. The gun remained firm against her head and her attacker was steady.

"Answer my questions."

"Don't wanna."

The gun shifted from her head for a moment and then there was a deafening explosion right beside her ear. She flinched. There was a clean hole in the turret walls. blackened and smoking. The barrel returned, now considerably hotter than it was before.

She didn't see a bullet. What was it, then?

"Answer my questions," the voice said again.

Kuina was debating if she could take her chances with this guy and hold them off long enough to find Breverton, when she heard a familiar voice call out.

"Hey, hey, don't go blasting the brains out of my cute little junior now, Strentum-san."

"Ah - " Kuina looked up, her eyes widening and her mouth stretching into a grin. Breverton was leaning on his forearms on the pathway on the turret wall, looking down at her with a lazy smile. In one hand was a half empty bottle of beer, and he donned the signature Revolutionary Army cloak.

"Hey, Kuina-chan," he said. There was more stubble lining his jaw now, and his slicked back hair was longer, reaching his neck. "Where's Sabo-kun and Koala-chan? Oh, Strentum-san, you can take the gun off, she's an ally from the Revolutionary Army."

The pressure was relieved and Kuina almost sighed with relief. The cloaked person lowered their arm, the sleeve falling to conceal their handheld weapon. "Thanks, Breverton-san. Sabo and Koala-chan have gone out to gather information in advance; all three of us are on the island now."

Breverton chuckled. "So hardworking, I see."

Strentum placed one foot on the wall, and tensed for a moment. With a powerful spring from his legs, he flew up over thirty meters and landed smoothly beside Breverton. He turned around, and she could feel his eyes scanning over her, before he turned around and jumped into the courtyard.

"Show off," Kuina mumbled. Louder, she said, "Who's that guy?"

"Strentum-san? He's one of the six royal bodyguards of the king. Next to the royal family, those six are the strongest people in this country." He took a large swig of his drink. "They've all been on edge lately, anticipating attacks from the rebels and the Marines. I guess he was suspicious of a person trying to enter the castle, especially with a visible weapon."

Kuina backed up as he spoke, shifting her bag so she had a better grip on it. Once she was a clear distance away from the wall, she broke into a sprint, using her momentum to dash up the wall. She grunted as she swung a hand to grab hold of the grey brick at the top, before hauling the rest of her body up. "What about the foot soldiers? How are they faring?"

She followed Breverton, who was making his way to one of the turrets. There was a staircase leading into the courtyard. "A great number of them have defected, and the rest of them are in the castle. We have enough supplies so far to keep them up and going, but we're running out. Considering the state of this country, we have to make our move soon. Dragon-san was right in sending you guys here."

"I heard about the princess. Do you think she was kidnapped by the Marines as a hostage?" They descended the stairs and entered the vast courtyard. It appeared as if there used to be a great number of winter plants there, even with the barren earth, but now all that was left were dead tree trunks and shrivelled up stems. The castle doors were large and heavy, and now there were steel bars crossing the hard rock. There were also cannons built into the walls of the castle. Lockdown, indeed.

"Don't worry, the princess is strong, stronger than her late mother and brother. The king is worried about her, of course, but it'll take nothing less than an Admiral to kill her." Breverton kicked at the bars, alerting the guardsmen. After a pause, Kuina could hear whirring gears and machinery grinding together to retract them. Then, he pushed one shoulder against a door and inched a gap just wide enough for him and Kuina to squeeze through.

"How long has she been missing?" Kuina inquired.

"Since two years."

Kuina blanched. Salvos Regem had defected four years ago, which meant that it was during the war that the princess had been abducted._ And her kidnappers haven't tried to use her as a hostage yet?_

The entrance hall was a long, winding hallway. From the looks of it, it had been constructed to buy time for reinforcements to arrive if an enemy really did break in. Flags hung at the walls, though Kuina noticed that there were some gaps that were wider than others. _They probably had World Government flags up before they defected._

"There's a shelter under the castle, built in the case of a large-scale genocide. Right now, they're the temporary barracks of our and the king's soldiers. There's a giant freezer below, too, where all the perishable foods are stored," Breverton explained.

Kuina rummaged through her coat pockets, before finding the Baby Den Den Mushi that she was looking for. She rang Sabo and Koala, but they didn't pick up. She frowned. "That's strange."

"Hey, Sabo, Koala-chan," she said, deciding to leave a message. "Be careful on the way to the palace. It's guarded by the king's bodyguards and they might be hostile, I've found Breverton-san. See ya." She hung up, just as six people entered the range of her Observation Haki. Breverton had noticed them as well.

Kuina could see them now. Five of them wore the same greyish-brown cloaks with the masks, and they surrounded the sixth figure; a tall, pale man with short dark hair and a square face. He was built like an ox, and had a commanding presence about him. There was a confident grin on his face, but his red eyes were clever and calculating.

Kuina realized that one of the bodyguards was missing.

Breverton bowed. "Your Majesty, Armis-sama.

"Ah - " Kuina hastily bowed as well, staring at the ground, and standing back up once Breverton had done so.

"Breverton-san. I presume this girl is part of the reinforcements from the Revolutionary Army?" King Armis's voice was a gravelly deep, deeper than even Breverton's. His tone was lighthearted and his smile was still there, though.

"Yes. This is Kuina."

"She is younger than I expected her to be," was his only comment, before the grin slipped and he put on a serious mask. "A few of my scouts heard word that the Marines were finally taking action. They're sending two battalions, one from HQ, led by a Rear Admiral called Drake. The other is from the G-5 branch, led by Vice Admiral Vergo."

"That will be a problem," Breverton commented, rubbing the rough stubble on his chin. "By the way Marines from G-5 conduct themselves, you'd think they were pirates instead. They're steadfastly loyal to their commander though. And Drake... I believe he was the son of a disgraced Marine-turned-pirate."

Kuina furrowed her brow as they began walking somewhere. The five bodyguards followed the king without hesitation, and after a few moments she decided to as well. Once their discussion over how to handle the Marines were over, Kuina stopped her feet and stared at the cape of the tall king.

"Armis-sama."

The rest of them stopped as well. The bodyguards had tensed, on edge for an attack despite no killing intent. The king turned around, fixing her with calm, blood eyes.

"Why did you decide to leave the World Government?"

The question hung in the air, but the king showed no visible sign of reaction. Instead, he stared her down, and Kuina returned the gaze, lifting her chin. The five bodyguards around him moved into an offensive stance. Breverton's posture, however, didn't change, instead he simply grinned and sipped at his beer.

Finally, the king relented, sighing. "This one is rather headstrong," he told the other man, lifting an eyebrow.

Breverton's smile widened. "I know."

He then turned to Kuina. "I suppose you are correct in suspecting my motives. True, the Revolutionary Army has aided in fanning the sparks, but the flame had been lit by us originally." He reached into his pocket, and took out a cigarette, apparently with no fear of lung cancer.

He took his time pressing the filter against his mouth and lighting it with a match. Kuina twitched, uncomfortable with even a tiny, unrestrained flame like that. He sucked in, before taking it out and blowing a cloud of smoke.

"Eight hundred years ago, right after the Void Century had ended, our ancestors found a stone block, deep underground in a forgotten passageway in the castle," he said. "It was carved in strange lettering that was indecipherable to even our most clever historians. Our most powerful and destructive weapons couldn't even scratch them. In the end, it was forgotten and dismissed as rubbish. They didn't know that there were many of them around the world, or that the World Government had forbade the study of it.

"Four years ago, a wanted woman came here in search of that very stone block, calling it a Poneglyph. When questioned about it, she told us..." he drew deeply, and the tip of his cancer stick burned red. "... that it had been written by the enemies of the World Government. Intrigued, we had followed her, and she had read it aloud for us. The Poneglyph told a story of an Ancient Kingdom, prosperous in both resources and military power, that had been felled by twenty countries that eventually formed to be the World Government. And the woman... she told us a story about the Buster Call that had happened at Ohara almost two decades ago, thanks to them learning this very knowledge. After learning this, there was no way that we were going to stay allied with an organization that had committed genocide on a mass scale to preserve their own secrets

_That description..._

"This woman..." the gears were whirring in Kuina's mind. "What was her name?"

"Oh, she's quite infamous, I'm sure you're familiar with her."

He took another drag from his cigarette. "Bounty of 79,000,000 beris, the "Devil Child" Nico Robin."

* * *

Koala blew out a white mist, her breath condensing in the low temperature. Gloved fingers tugged at her scarf, pulling it to cover her reddened nose and cheeks, before shoving them in her pockets.

She had returned to port. Earlier, there had been a commotion where the king's soldiers had been attacked by rebels. There was a short battle, which ended in both sides fleeing and a few dead bodies left to rot. Koala had hid behind a few wooden crates, not wanting to get involved. Now, it seemed abandoned.

_Considering the state of the country, there shouldn't be any trading vessels here._ Which meant that there was only one thing these vessels could be affiliated with.

Black market.

Koala checked the surrounding area with Observation Haki, glancing around for good measure, before deeming it safe enough to walk out in the open. She made her way to one of the closer trading vessels, a large argosy made of oak. She found it surprising that it had travelled a great deal in the Grand Line, seeing as the ship was large and bulky and thus harder to navigate through treacherous waters.

She tensed her legs for a moment, before springing up like a cat and landing on deck. The doors leading below deck were locked. While under normal circumstances she could've kicked it down with ease, right now she didn't want to be discovered. Instead, she drew a length of wire, bending it with her fingers to an eighty degree angle.

Sabo's words rang clean in her ears as she moved it around, listening intently for the picks. The boy was either naturally talented at being a thief or had a lot of experience with it in his past life, because, after a few simple instructions, his eyes had lit up and he could pick a lock with nothing but Ivankov's hairpin in less than thirty seconds. Then, he had instructed his friends, who were significantly less talented, how he had done it.

After maybe five minutes, a click sounded and Koala bit back a gasp. The door now swung open without resistance, and she was free to go. But her feet froze in place, and the familiar, cold, seeping feeling clutched at her chest.

Fear.

Koala had lots of ideas on what the "cargo" could've been. There wasn't any putrid stench wafting up, but the people who had shipped her to Mariejois had locked her down, down below with the rest of the slaves. So they wouldn't have to smell the death and despair that clung to them like flies.

The scar on her back began to throb, and subconsciously she grabbed at her arm, shivering. She was suddenly eight years old again, smiling her widest as she was beaten within an inch of her life. Not daring to cry as her untreated wounds were left to rot, unfettered. Walking around with the hoof of a flying dragon branded to her back.

And then her mind was flooded with images. The searing hot pain that branded a sun over the hoof, the kind smiles of pirates, the love and laughter that came with going home.

She steadied herself against the doorframe, breathing deeply._ I can do this._

She made her way through the hallway, remembering to shut the door. The little light that seeped in from outside was cut off completely. Steeling herself, she moved through the hallways, silent and voiceless. The doors around her seemed to be living quarters of the crew, and they were all empty, with no signs of recent use. Further ahead, at the end of the hall, there was a hatch in the ground.

Koala pulled the heavy metal door open, wincing at the squeaks that it made, before leaving it on the floor, wide open. She glanced around, and grabbed a thick splinter sticking out of a nearby floorboard. She dropped it, and counted two seconds before she heard it clatter on wood.

_Okay._ She eased herself down, clutching the metal ladder and shutting the hatch above her. Fifteen rusty rungs before her feet hit the floor.

She was in another hallway now, but with no portholes on the doors. She tried the nearest door, which was locked. Sighing, she pulled the wire out of her pocket again, resigned to taking another five minutes to pick the lock. Maybe she shouldn't have split up with Sabo.

Once it clicked yet again, she pushed it open, bracing herself for whatever was in there.

To her relief, instead of piles of slaves chained to walls there were crates and barrels inside. It was so packed that she had trouble walking through the room. The air was rife with the scent of gunpowder.

"These are..." she murmured to herself, pulling the lid off of an open one. _Weapons._

They weren't the high-grade and technologically advanced weapons of Salvos Regem, either. These were the standard flintlocks, steel cutlasses, small, sharp knives. Like the sails, there wasn't any mark to signify their alliance.

"These weapons... for the rebel army?" She wondered aloud. "But who's supplying them?"

A handful of voices entered the scope of her Haki, and Koala's eyes widened. They, unlike her, made no effort to conceal themselves. They were either extremely arrogant and idiotic or the crew.

There was a creak as the first door, leading to the barracks. Judging from the heavy footsteps, they were probably all men. A gravelly voice echoed, "The fuck? I swear I left this locked." She looked up, seeing the dim flickers of auras.

_Wait, that one in the corner is..._

Her eyes darted around the room, frantic in their search for a hiding spot. She settled behind a few large crates in the corner that had been covered by a tarp, pressing her back against it and crossing her fingers. Her heart thudded in her chest.

"Purupurupuru..."

Koala flinched as the Baby Den Den Mushi began ringing, her heart jumping to her throat in her haste to shut it off. The poor snail winced at the force, and Koala mouthed "sorry" just as the door swung open. Her entire body went rigid.

Heavy boots thudded and then the grating of a crate being opened met her ears. There was a click as a firearm was examined.

"... I see Joker-san has kept up with his end of the deal this month as well," was the only comment. Now Koala was sure that person was a man thanks to the tenor voice.

_Joker? Who's that? An underground weapons broker?_

"Of course, our master doesn't like breaking his promises," a higher, nasally voice said, sounding put out. "Then, this month's fee, if you will."

Koala peeked through the crack, catching a glimpse of the newcomers. Three of them wore dark cloaks that weren't unlike the Revolutionary Army's own. Their shoulders were broad and one of them was significantly taller than the rest. Presumably, they were part of the rebel army, possibly high-ranking officers. The other three wore tight black shirts, tan pants tucked into boots, topped off with a puffy white hat with horns sticking out of the sides.

The rebel holding the flintlock reached into his cloak with his free hand, and pulled out several large wads of beri, handing it to one of Joker's subordinates. He promptly flipped through it, counting meticulously. After a few minutes, he had finished, and gave him a curt nod.

"It's all there," he told his partners. Before he could continue though, there was a large crash outside, and the three underground workers tensed.

"Shit," one of them cursed. "That wasn't the tanker, was it?"

The three of them left the room, running to the deck to confirm the safety of their wares. The man holding the flintlock set it on the top of a barrel, before leaning back against the wall in a relaxed stance.

Silence hung taut in the air, before the man said, "If you don't get out of your hiding spot right this instant, I'm going to assume you're a spy from the king and kill you."

Koala's blood ran cold.

_Shit._

When she didn't move, she heard the cocking of a gun and then a gunshot sounded. She jumped, seeing the bullet fly over the tarp-covered boxes and into the wall, where she was hiding. Sweat trickled from her temple to her throat. _Observation Haki?_

Cautiously, she stood up, her back to them, raising her hands. She bit her lip, and her fingers twitched to clean the room until it was polished and sparkling.

"Turn around." The voice was cold.

Koala obliged, meeting eye-to-eye with the rebel. He was a head taller than her. His eyes were covered by sunglasses, but his face was slender, with hint of brown tufts at the edges, but the cloak covered the rest. A scar on his face went from his temple to his neck. He was solidly built, and she noticed that there was a cutlass at his hip. The gun he was holding never moved from Koala's head.

Anxiously, her eyes flickered to the rest of the rebels. The smallest of the three was still a little taller than her, with their cape hiding their body and their face, save for their jaw; the skin was a dark mocha and the mouth was set in a grim line.

"Give me a reason not to shoot you in the head." It was an order.

"I don't intend you harm." Koala said, the first thing that she thought of.

The grip on the gun tightened. "Lying through your teeth won't help you." She could see the trigger finger go taut, and he was either going to fire another warning round or at her directly. Her reflexes were good enough that she could probably dodge, but she wasn't sure whether she could win a fight against all three of them.

A webbed, greenish-yellow hand grabbed the sunglasses man's wrist. "Stop, Onure. She's an ally."

Koala almost cried in relief as the third figure, the largest of them and the presence she had recognized earlier, pulled off his hood. Flowing grey hair tumbled out, framing the fishman's face.

"What're you saying, Hack? I've never seen her before," Onure snapped.

"She's one of my comrades that I called here to aid us," Hack rumbled, lying flawlessly. "It appears she was suspicious of this boat. I hope my friend didn't scare you too much, Koala."

A report that Breverton had sent in a few years ago had detailed that several members of the Revolutionary Army had infiltrated the rebel army, Hack included. Koala was just amazed and relieved at her luck.

"N-no, it's fine," she said, amazed that she had enough brainpower to still formulate coherent sentences. "He was right to suspect me."

Her body was still high on adrenaline while Hack insisted that she was trustworthy and could be taken back to their base. After answering questions about her intentions and her past (Koala found it easier to stick to truths when telling lies; when Onure had asked her about her past, she had answered that she was a slave with a smile, and he'd jolted as if slapped), he made up his mind and told her to follow them.

They jumped out through the portholes in the barracks, escaping the notice of Joker's subordinates completely. She was led through an incinerate maze of alleys and slums, bypassing the rural, agricultural areas completely.

They finally stopped at a large warehouse hidden underground, the entrance covered by a large, filthy curtain. Inside, she could hear many voices, some hungry, some in pain, some exhausted. It had the same revolting stench that clung to slaves, and Koala realized just how badly this country was falling apart.

Unexpectedly, she heard another voice behind her, silent and sharp. Hack and Onure either didn't notice or didn't care, as only she and the third, smaller rebel turned around.

A single red eye glittered in the shadows, before it was whisked away, and a shudder travelled down her back.

* * *

**A/N: **The masks of the king's six bodyguards are based off of the masks of Anonymous, an international organization of hacktivists. Solely because they looked cool. This chapter cut off at a very awkward part, sorry about that. I'm guessing about Koala having Haki, but since Sabo has such mastery over it I suppose she would too. I couldn't find a single picture of the Donquixote Pirates foot soldiers' outfits so I did it from memory, hahaaa...

There weren't much quirky Oda-esque characters this chapter! D: I'm sorry about that, again, I'm trying to make this as One Piece-like as possible but the setting is a little grittier than what Luffy's encountered (except for maybe Impel Down). We'll find many weird characters next chapter (maybe)! :3

If you enjoyed it, please leave a review telling me what parts you liked and what parts you didn't like! That would really make my day, thanks :D


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